Cast Iron Alchemist: Redux
by Inkwellblue
Summary: Edward Elric has died. In his will, he left a trunk of memories behind for his grandson, including a strange pocket watch and a journal, filled with stories from Anthony's childhood about a brave hero, the Fullmetal Alchemist. But he will soon learn that these stories are more than fiction, as he is thrust into Amestris to save it from tyranny once more as the Cast Iron Alchemist.
1. Chapter 1

The sky was a slate gray above the earth, as if to mirror the emotion below, as a burial drew to a close. As the family began to leave for their cars, one boy stayed behind, his eyes fought back tears as he stared at the etchings before him.

EDWARD ELRIC

A MAN OF FAMILY AND SCIENCE

As his eyes scanned and processed the words as his mind tried to escape to happy memories, but they only drew to guide him further to depression. From behind, a woman put her hand on his shoulder. The boy jumped, turning her head to see his mother standing there with sympathetic eyes. "Anthony, I'll be joining the others for a memorial dinner. Please, don't stay out too late, they say it's going to rain tonight."

Anthony nodded back to her silently with a sullen gaze. The woman's eyes lingered on him for a moment, staring at him. "I'll be fine Mom, I'll see you at home." He turned his head away, back to the grave.

No further words were exchanged as the woman stepped away, toward her car. The boy stood there for hours, simply staring at the grave before him, as if there were something left to say, but he couldn't find the words.

Finally, as the sky grew darker, and the raindrops began to fall, he retreated to his car and returned home. He didn't bother to turn the lights on, quickly making his way to the stairs and up to his room. Finally feeling safe and alone, his eyes erupted with tears, his arms clenched into fists as he tried to work through his feelings. He was furious, depressed, but found nobody he could blame, nobody he could throw his anger toward. Instead he fell into his bed, gripping his pillow tightly as memories flooded through his mind. Memories of his grandfather, the lessons and stories he'd tell, and the pride he felt in his children and grandchildren. Anthony laid there for what felt like hours, simply crying until his eyes couldn't produce tears. Rolling over in his bed, he rubbed at his irritated eyes, and his gaze came to lie on the trunk in the corner of his room.

It was an ornate trunk, covered in red and black fabric. It had been willed to Anthony a week before the funeral took place, but he had not yet bothered to open it, the final step to admitting his grandfather was gone. His curiosity overtook him, however, and he limbed out of bed, dropping to his knees in front of the trunk. He ran his hand over the fabric that covered the outside, it was soft, plush, as if it were new.

"And to my grandson, Anthony Elric, who listened to my stories with such interest and imagination, I leave my trunk, which can be found in my attic, in the hopes that he never loses that imagination and optimism that drives him."

The words echoed in Anthony's head over and over, not in the voice of the lawyer which read it, but in the voice of his grandfather. He could hear it so clearly, and imagine him saying it aloud. Lifting the hinge of the trunk, he raised the lid and peered into it's contents with curiosity.

Laying across the top of the trunk was a red coat, with a Flamel's Cross adorned on the back of it. Picking it up and looking it over, it appeared to be just the right size for his grandfather, but too small for Anthony, just half a foot taller. Setting the coat aside, Anthony nearly jumped from surprise as his eyes laid on an arm and leg, but upon further inspection he saw they were metal prosthetics, partially rusted from age. Picking them up and mulling them over, he spotted a name pressed into the sole of the foot, and the forearm plate. They were hard to read, but putting what he could of both together, he was able to decipher the name 'Rockbell,' though the name didn't sound very familiar.

The only thing left in the box were a pocket watch with a strange symbol on the front, almost like that of a dragon, with what appeared to be two circles ensnaring it. Again, the symbol didn't strike his mind in any particular way, and he couldn't even open the watch to see inside, it appeared to be sealed shut. "Why would you buy a pocket watch you couldn't open?" Anthony pondered to himself.

Shrugging it off, he pocketed the watch and picked up the last item in the trunk, a leather bound notebook. Opening it carefully, Anthony could feel the age of the pages as he flipped through it curiously. Reading over the pages, his mind rushed with familiar memories of his grandfather. The pages appeared to contain the stories he had listened to his grandfather tell, but from a first person angle, intermingled with strange notes of ingredients and weird symbols. Was he writing a book? It almost appeared to be an instruction manual, describing how to draw and prepare the symbols. Anthony couldn't help but feel his curiosity piqued as he read over the pages.

* * *

Anthony sat by himself at a picnic table in the back of the school, reviewing the notebook as he practised drawing the circles on the pages in his own school notebook. His mind had become obsessed with them, what they meant. He could tell by context what they were for, they were for performing the magic that his grandfather had talked about in his stories, the power of alchemy to transmute objects and change their form. Anthony couldn't help but wonder why his grandfather would go to such intricate detail of these circles if they were simply part of a story he was writing. Some kind of interactive addition to the pages of the book? No, it was more like research, like he was documenting his findings.

Anthony darted his eyes back and forth between the pages of the book and his own notebook until he was satisfied that he had copied the circle properly, and he flipped the page to the final page in the book, where his eyes caught the final circle documented, a curiously detailed and extensive circle, it didn't have as much writing around it as the others did, describing what it was best used for, it simply stated at the bottom of the page, 'May be possible to pass through without the sacrifice.' Sacrifice?

Anthony stared at the page for a long time, he was mesmerized by it's deep detail. Where there was normally an outer circle there appeared to be a large snake eating it's own tail, and the details within it were just as intricate. The main symbol within the circle appeared to be the same as on the back of the jacket he had found with his father's things, with various other runes and inscriptions around the edges of it. "There you are, we've been looking everywhere for you!"

Anthony jumped and quickly closed the book as he looked to the direction of the voice. A peppy girl with shoulder length blonde hair approached with a smile on her face. She was followed by a broad shouldered teen boy with black hair about the same length. "Abigail, Jack." Anthony smiled as he saw them approach, gesturing for them to sit with him. "Sorry, I've been keeping pretty busy lately."

"That's for sure," Abigail retorted, "Seems like whenever we're not in class you're off on your own somewhere with your nose buried in that book."

"Cut him a break Abby," Jack chided to her, "His grandfather left it to him, he's probably still pretty bummed out right now."

He was nice enough to drop his voice to a whisper, but Anthony still heard him. Thankfully, he brushed it off. "Sorry, it's just, this book has a lot of sentimental value to me, it's filled with all the stories my grandfather used to tell me when I was a kid."

"Don't worry about it." Abigail smiled at him, looking more pitying than before. "Just remember to put some time aside for your friends too, we're here for you Anthony."

"I know, and I certainly appreciate it." Anthony told them with a smile. "I just need a little more time to myself than I used to, alright?"

The pair nodded to him with a smile. At the sign of the bell they all stood up, and Anthony was assaulted by a sudden hug from Abigail, followed by a pat on the back by Jack. He couldn't help but smile at his friends' backs as they walked away. He was happy to see they were concerned about him, but they wouldn't understand, this was something between him and Ed.

* * *

Anthony wiped the chalk off his hands, staining his shirt with white powder as he looked down at the circle below him. He picked up the notebook from nearby, wincing as he cut his finger flipping pages. Ignoring the pain from his finger, he looked down at the final page, once again looking between his creation and the example in the book. He smiled, it had taken him well over two weeks, but he had managed to replicate the page perfectly on his basement floor. "Anthony," he heard his mother's voice call from upstairs, "Time for dinner."

"Coming Mom." he called back.

Anthony slipped the notebook into his back pocket and picked up his camera nearby, taking a few shots of the circle on the floor. As he took shots from various angles, his finger bled, and trickled onto the circle below, over the serpent's mouth, a bright glow spreading out from the point of contact. Anthony dropped the camera in surprise, the device shattering on the ground below as his entire vision was engulfed in light. Anthony felt an intense pressure on his chest as he fell to his knees and began to cough, until finally he blacked out.

* * *

A young blonde boy laid back on the couch in his living room, staring at the ceiling with a blank look on his face. "I'm bored." was all he managed to say to the empty room around him.

"Well, that's no good." An older man with silvery blonde hair smiled at him from the doorway. "You're too young to be bored of the world yet, Anthony."

"Grandpa!" The boy shouted excitedly, sitting up and looking at the senior, a bright smile replacing his previously bland look.

Ed smiled back at the boy, sitting down on the couch cushion next to him, he pet the boy's head gently. "It's good to see you again, what has it been? Ten years?"

"It's only been a week Grandpa." Anthony giggled, smiling up at his elder. "Are you staying for dinner again tonight?"

"Of course, I can't say no to your mother's cooking. Though, it seems like I got here a bit early today, I wonder how I'm going to kill the time until dinner."

Anthony couldn't help but chuckle as he hopped off the couch, sitting crosslegged in front of Ed. "Can you tell the one where the alchemist saves the coal mine again?"

"You certainly enjoy that one, don't you?" Ed couldn't help but laugh to himself. "Alright then. The Fullmetal Alchemist had only the day before stopped the infamous Barry the Chopper, and he and his brother were trying to relax after the exciting adventure with the love of his life, when-"

"Sorry to interrupt Dad," Anthony's mother peeked in from around the corner of the doorway. "But dinner's ready."

"Aw Mom," Anthony pouted, looking over at her, "Can't it wait until after the story."

"Now now Anthony, it's best not to make your mother wait." Ed chided, smiling at his daughter. "There'll be plenty of time for the story after dinner. We'll be in shortly, Nina."

Anthony sighed and stood up, walking toward the dining room, following behind his grandfather and staring up at him with pride.

* * *

Anthony groaned as he began to stir. He felt a cool breeze on his back, the feeling of grass flowing against his face. As he stirred, he picked himself up and rubbed his eyes, getting used to the light of the evening sun on his eyes. He appeared to on a hill, overlooking a small town, a dozen houses separated by spans of grassy fields and farmland. Anthony rose to his feet, trying to get his memories in order. He remembered finishing the circle, taking pictures, a bright light, and then...nothing. Where was he?

As his mind searched for answers, he saw a girl walking down the road below him, carrying groceries. "Excuse me?" he called out to her, running down the hill toward her.

The girl turned her attention to him as he approached, looking a little on edge at the stranger approaching. As Anthony got closer, he was able to get a closer look at her. She was roughly his age, with chestnut brown hair, and deep green eyes. "Excuse me miss, Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me where I am?"

The girl smiled as he asked the question, lowering her guard to him slightly. "Of course, You're in the town of Risembool."

"Risembool?" he pondered the word for a moment, it sounded familiar.

"That's right, It's a small farming community." She looked him over, spotting his grass stained clothes. "I take it you're not from around here then?"

Anthony shook his head. "I'm afraid not, I'm from New Mexico."

"New Mexico? I've never been, you must have come quite a long way."

"Have I? I'm afraid I'm not sure how I really got here myself. I should really get home before my mom starts to worry."

"Well, the trains have stopped running for the day." The girl looked him over for a moment, pondering to herself. "We have a spare bedroom if you need a place to stay. You seem like a nice enough person, I'm sure my grandmother wouldn't mind."

"Oh, well, thank you very much." Anthony smiled, holding out his arms to take one of the grocery bags. "Here, let me help you carry those."

The girl smiled softly, nodding as she handed him a bag of groceries. "Thank you very much. It's not much farther up the road." She turned on her heel, continuing down the road with Anthony following next to her. "I'm Alicia Rivers, by the way."

"Anthony Elric," he replied with a smile, "It's nice to meet-"

"Did you say Elric?!" Alicia turned her head suddenly, sporting a shocked look.

Anthony couldn't help but jump at the sudden outburst, taking a step away from the girl. "Uh, yeah, Anthony Elric."

"Well, then you're certainly going to be welcome. My Grandma Winry was a family friend of the Elrics."

"That's interesting, my grandmother was name Winry as well."

"Well, she isn't my biological grandmother, She took me in when I lost my parents."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Anthony looked over to Alicia, the brightness in her eyes had briefly changed to a sullen gaze forward.

"It's alright, I've had a lot of time to get over it." she spoke quietly as the pair approached a house at the end of the dirt road. "Here we are, Welcome to Rockbell Automail."

Anthony paused as he came up the steps of the porch, looking at the chalkboard sign with the shop's name written on it in solid lettering. Anthony's mind immediately went to the intricate prosthetics he had found in his grandfather's trunk. Where ever he was, he was certainly far from home.

Putting the thought behind him, Anthony followed Alicia into the house. Inside, the house was decorated nicely, with photos of friends and family hanging on the walls. Once he set down the groceries, Anthony took a moment to admire the photos, spotting one that appeared to be of his grandfather, smiling with his brother, Alphonse, and what appeared to be a younger version of Anthony's grandmother, Winry. "Grandma, I'm home." Alicia called out.

The two were silent as they waited for some form of response, but the silence merely echoed back to them. "I guess she's not here." Alicia smiled, looking over at Anthony. "She's probably making a house call, she should be home before dinner though. Make yourself at home."

Anthony nodded to her as she stepped out of the room to the kitchen, taking a moment to walk around and explore, bedrooms upstairs, a large workshop downstairs. Finally, he found himself back in the kitchen, watching Alicia from the door, she had put on an apron and began cooking. Stepping up with a smile, walked up next to her. "Would you like some help?"

"Oh, thank you." Alicia smiled, reaching for the knife block and handing it to him. "If you wouldn't mind peeling some potatoes, they're in the pantry."

Anthony nodded, walking toward the nearby door while Alicia returned to the steaks she was prepping. Looking through the various shelves, he found the bag of potatoes, pulling it out when his ears heard the sound of a door opening and shutting. "Alicia, I'm home."

Anthony's heart skipped a beat at the sound echoing from the next room. He made a dash for the pantry door, bounding through it. "Welcome home Grandma, How was your-" Alicia's thought was interrupted as Anthony bound into the doorway, his eyes wide as he saw the silver haired woman before him.

The room was silent for a moment as Anthony stared at the two, and the women stared back. "Um, Grandma, This is Anthony, he...wandered into town today. I was hoping it was alright for him to spend the night since the trains stopped running."

The woman looked to her granddaughter, before turning her attention over to the boy in the kitchen, smiling over to him as she approached. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Winry Rockbell."

Anthony stared down at her hand for a moment, reaching his hand out to hers, grasping it tightly. "I'm...Anthony Elric."

Anthony could see Winry's smile fade from her face as he spoke his name. Her grip loosened as she pulled her hand from him, staring down at him. "It's nice to meet you Anthony." She turned her head toward Alicia nearby. "Alicia, my back is acting up again, could you go out to your garden and get some Devil's Claw for tea?"

"Of course, I'll be back soon." Alicia smiled, unaware of the tension in the room as she stepped out the back door.

Winry walked toward her toolbox, which she had set down near the door as Anthony stared at the woman from the kitchen doorway, sliding the lid away and sorting through her tools. "What is your name?"

Anthony took a moment to process the stern question, his muscles tense from the sudden change in tone. "My name is Anthony Elric." Anthony ducked as a wrench came flying straight at his face, barely able to finish his sentence as he avoided the hunk of steel.

"Don't lie to me!" Winry screamed, gritting her teeth as she glared at him. "There are no Elrics left in Amestris!" Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she screamed.

Anthony froze as the word struck him, and everything slid into place in his mind. "Ame...Amestris..." He fell to his knees as his mind raced with memories, stories from his childhood. "That's not possible..."

Winry was about to respond as the young man fell to his knees, staring at him. Anthony stared at the ground, gathering his thoughts as he took the leatherbound notebook and watch from his back pocket. Winry's eyes went wide, she recognized the objects immediately as Anthony set them on the ground in front of him. His breathing was heavy and panicked as his mind tried to make sense of everything.

Winry recovered from the pair's mutual shock first, making quick strides toward Anthony, she picked up the notebook and watch, confirming it was what she thought it was. "Where did you get this?" Winry asked, staring down at the boy on the ground, she recieved no answer. "Answer me!"

Anthony looked up at her as he began to regain his bearings. "They belonged to my grandfather," he gulped, "Edward Elric..."

Winry's chest went cold when she heard his name spoken aloud. Quickly shaking it off, she strode out of the room, toward her workshop. After a moment more of gathering his thoughts, Anthony stood up and made his way toward the workshop. Leaning into the doorway, he could see Winry working on the watch. She had it in a vice, working on the latch. "Don't waste your time." Anthony told her. "The latch is sealed, welded shut or something."

"It's not welded, it's alchemy." She told him. Digging the screwdriver in and twisting it, the watch snapped open.

Anthony approached slowly, staring down at the watch's inner cover. "'Never Forget, 3 Oct 11.' Is that a date?"

"It's the day the Elric brothers burned down their home, and left Risembool to get their bodies back." Winry explained, tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned her gaze over to Anthony. "Just who are you?"

Anthony shut his eyes as he processed everything that was happening, that these stories which once filled his childhood with imagination and inspiration had suddenly turned to tales of his grandfather's past struggles. It took everything in him to keep standing.

"I'm Anthony Elric."


	2. Chapter 2

Anthony sighed as he set down his cup of tea, looking across the table at the two girls, Alicia and Winry. He sighed softly and turned his gaze down to the pocket watch in front of him, still open with the inscription staring up at him. "I don't really remember anything after that, until I woke up on the hill and saw Alicia."

"I see, so I did end up with Ed," Winry smiled, "It just wasn't exactly me."

"A whole other world on the other side of the gate, I never would've imagined such a thing to be true." Alicia sat back in her chair, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Anthony nodded, sitting up in his own chair as he sighed. "I know how you feel, it's like everything I thought I knew got turned on it's head."

"Do you have any idea how to get back home?" Alicia asked.

Anthony shook his head, staring down into his lap. "No. Well, maybe." He reached into his back pocket, pulling out the leather bound notebook. "This is my grandfather's journal, he left detailed notes about his journey in here. It's also where I found the transmutation circle which allowed me to travel here. It mentions a transmutation array which opened the gate initially, but it doesn't show it in here, and it says it requires a sacrifice to open."

"What kind of a sacrifice." Alicia reached out for the book, skimming through it's pages.

"My Uncle Alphonse was able to open the gate by sacrificing the homunculi Gluttony and Wrath as payment. Apparently Dante was able to open it using a baby which was closer to the gate."

"So then, you would need a homunculus, a baby, or a philosopher's stone." Winry concluded.

"I guess so, but I can't just steal a baby, or make a homunculus or a philosopher's stone." Anthony sighed, rubbing his head. "Dammit, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this."

"Then perhaps that should be it for tonight then." Winry stood up, stretching her arms. "It's getting late, we should all retire for the night. I have a spare bedroom upstairs that you can sleep in, it used to be Granny Pinako's."

"Thank you miss Winry," Anthony nodded, smiling as he stood up. "Sorry to have dropped in on you so suddenly."

"You don't need to apologize." Winry told him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "This house has been and always will be a home any Elric can return to."

* * *

Anthony screamed as he fell through the golden pit, staring up at the gateway above him getting further and further away. "What's going on? Where am I? What is this?"

Suddenly, black arms stretched out from seemingly nowhere. Anthony struggled as they surrounded him. "no, let me go!"

His vision went dark as the tendrils covered his face, he could feel himself blacking out.

"Let him go!"

* * *

Anthony jumped up with a start, covering his aching head. He was covered in a cold sweat from the startling nightmare. Looking out the window, he was sad to see that, instead of the streetlamps and paved roads of home, the sprawling hills of Risembool stretched out across his field of view.

Climbing out of bed, he wiped his forehead and stood up, slipping into his jeans and making his way out to the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw light coming from the room nearby, Alicia's bedroom. His curiosity getting the best of him, he made his way over to the door and knocked gently. There was a quiet squeak of surprise, followed by footsteps, and finally the door opened to reveal Alicia in blue pajamas and a loose fitting shirt "Oh, hey. I thought I was the only one up."

"I couldn't sleep." Anthony rubbed his head, smiling. "I had a bit of a nightmare. What are you doing up so late?"

Alicia smiled and opened the door, beckoning him to follow her in. She led him over to her desk where a sewing kit was laid out amongst a multitude of colored gloves, organized into two piles on either side of the desk. Anthony picked one up, looking it over in the light. It was a bit hard to see, but the glove had a transmutation circle sewn into the palm and the back of the glove. "You're sewing circles into these gloves? You're an alchemist!"

Alicia nodded, picking up a green glove and slipping it on, she held it over a pot of dirt. Within moments, the transmutation circle glowed. Anthony recognized the design of the circle, it was the same one he had seen in the journal, where it described Ed's encounter with the Tringham brothers. From the dirt, a small sprout began to form, turning into a lovely yellow flower. "Plant alchemy is my speciality, I learned it from my parents. My parents moved out here to study the farms, they wanted to improve crop production so more food could be produced."

Anthony nodded, mindlessly slipping the glove into his pocket as he listened. "Sounds like your parents were doing a lot of good for this world."

Alicia nodded and sighed. "They were, but then the military found them and they were drafted. I haven't heard from them since then."

"Drafted? I thought state alchemists were willingly recruited."

"Things have changed since the time that your grandfather lived here Anthony." Alicia took off the glove, setting it on the table. "Amestris law now says it's mandatory for any alchemist to join the military and provide their skills to military research. They've been trying to draft me for a while too."

Anthony clenched his fist in frustration, thinking back to all the good that his grandfather had tried to do. "What about the work my grandpa and Mustang did to fix this country?"

"That's right, I suppose you only know as much as Ed did." The two turned to see Winry standing in the doorway, wearing white pajamas. "After Roy Mustang's fight against King Bradley, the Fuhrer was declared missing, then assumed dead. The government was replaced with a council which would make decisions. People were concerned about the change in government, but were complacent for a time."

Anthony nodded, turning to face Winry. "And then the Gate opened, right?"

"That's right, it was only a few years later that the ground opened and the worlds connected. Following that incident, people became disconcerted with the change in government, and a coup was staged to return the government to it's so called 'former glory'"

"They executed the council members following a series of rigged trials." Alicia continued. "The final one they put to death was Brigadier General Roy Mustang. They set him up as the murderer of Fuhrer King Bradley and had him hung."

Anthony's chest went cold as he listened, shocked at the sudden turn this country had taken, the country from the stories, the country before him. To hear that the characters he revered as a child were real, and to hear their fates, it made him feel weak.

"From that point on the government has been ruled by President Fuhrer Simon Weiss. Since then he's instated a new regime, and has been drafting every alchemist he can find to join his State Alchemy program."

"What does he need so many State Alchemists for?"

"According to the military, they're redoubling their efforts in alchemy to improve the quality of life in Amestris, though nobody is sure how he's doing that. He has multiple laboratories set up in all the major cities, but hardly anyone is ever seen coming out of the buildings, mostly just trucks shipping supplies in and out of the facilities. Every alchemist in Amestris is assigned to work in one of these facilities."

"Either that or shipped out to the wars with the neighboring nations." Alicia added. "We've made enemies at every border these past few decades."

The room went silent, there were sullen faces on everyone in the room. "That's enough political talk tonight." Winry finally spoke up, turning to leave. "You both need your rest."

* * *

Anthony stretched his arms as he made his way down the stairs, the scent of pancakes in the air. Turning the corner, he caught sight of Alicia, wide awake and setting the table for breakfast. She smiled over at Anthony as he came into view, pulling out a chair for him. "Good morning Anthony, sleep well?"

"As well as can be expected, given the culture shock from yesterday." he joked, taking a seat at the table. "I still have a lot on my mind."

Alicia set the plates down, breakfast sausage and eggs, taking her seat across from Anthony. "I can't imagine it's been very easy for you, having learned so much in less than a day's time."

Anthony stared down at his meal as he ate, thinking to himself. The pair sat in silence, only the sound of forks hitting plates broke the silence until Winry stepped into the doorway. "Goodness, you wouldn't think anyone was even awake right now if it weren't for the sounds of cutlery." She took her seat at the table, crossing her legs as she ate.

Anthony set down his fork, looking over to the mechanic, it was still hard for him to see someone other than his grandmother when he looked at her. "Miss Winry, do you think I'd could accompany you on your errands today? I...want to see the town my grandfather grew up in."

"Of course, it'll be nice to give my back a break from carrying around that heavy toolkit."

Alicia smiled softly seeing the other two in better spirits, she stood up and retrieved the empty plates to bring to the kitchen. "I'll stay here and hold down the fort then, you two have fun."

* * *

Anthony was in awe at the sights he had seen. The rolling hills, the massive farms, the amazing people of the town. Centered squarely in his mind, however, was the automail he had seen that day. They had worked on sixteen appointments in total, and he had managed to stare in awe at every one of them. "man, prosthetic limbs which work and behave exactly like real ones. It's amazing."

"You don't have prosthetics like that in your world?" Winry looked over at him curiously as they walked.

"Not at all, we don't even really have a full grasp on connecting nerves like you do here, either. And we certainly don't have any as durable as what you have. The strength and durability of it, it's almost better than a real arm."

Winry's hand balled up into a fist at Anthony's final comment. "Well, not everyone would agree with you, Anthony. I guarantee any of the people you met today would trade them in to have real arms again."

Anthony blushed, looking down as he realized the insensitivity of his comment. "you're right, I'm sorry."

The two continued to walk in silence for a while, before Winry broke off the path toward home. Anthony stopped, watching her for a moment. Realizing he wasn't following her, Winry turned around and beckoned him to follow. "Come on, I want to make one more quick stop before we go home."

Anthony followed, a bit confused as she guided him up the hill. As they approached the top of the hill, the two stopped in front of the remains of a picket fence. Within the boundaries of the fence were what appeared to be the foundation of a former building. As Anthony approached and examined the ruins, his eyes caught sight of a swing on the tree nearby. It only took Anthony a moment longer before he realized what he was looking at. He turned his attention back to Winry, who had a reassuring smile on her face. "Is this..." he couldn't finish the question.

Winry nodded in response to the awe struck boy. "This is the former sight of the Elric house. I figured you'd like to see it for yourself."

Anthony turned back to the ruins, his mind swimming with a mix of emotions. He stood in silence for a while, thinking about his grandfather, the stories from his childhood, the reality of his situation. "Miss Winry." Anthony turned around to face the silver haired mechanic, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Please, can you take me to where she's buried?"

* * *

Anthony stared down at the grave before him, reading the name over and over.

TRISHA ELRIC

"I never got to meet you." Anthony spoke to the grave, his hand clenched tightly. "But I feel like I know you. The way my grandfather talked about you, the stories he told me. He spoke so highly of you all the time, like you were the most important person in the world. I'm sorry he never made it back to you, to say goodbye before he left this world forever, but...I hope he's with you now."

* * *

The remainder of the walk home was mostly silent between Anthony and Winry. Anthony was wrapped in his own thoughts again, staring blankly ahead as he walked. As the two rounded the last hill toward home, they saw Alicia standing in the front garden, facing a pair of men wearing military uniforms. "Oh no." Winry gasped.

She immediately broke into a sprint. Anthony, after seeing Winry's reaction, was only a few moments behind her. "I told you I'm not going with you, so just leave me alone!" Alicia sounded furious as she addressed the soldiers.

"We're not here to ask any more girl." The larger of the two soldiers yelled back at her, making a lunge for her arm. "By order of the State, you have been drafted into the military."

Alicia pulled her arm back from his assault, an angry look across her face as she tossed her arm forward, delivering an audible slap to the soldier's cheek, much to the shock of the shorter soldier. Winry and Anthony stopped at the sound of the slap, just a few feet behind the young alchemist.

The soldier recovered from the slap after a few moments, his look of shock turning to a frustrated expression. "I'm sick of this girl!" he yelled, reaching for his belt. Time froze for a moment as he held the gun up to Alicia's head. "Alicia Rivers, for crimes against the military, you have been sentenced to death."

Alicia couldn't respond, only able to stare down the barrel pointed between her eyes. As her mind caught up to what was happening, Winry let out a scream, drowned out by the sound of a shot firing.

Alicia could feel blood on her cheek, it felt warm, then quickly it became cold as it met with the air. It took a moment for her to realize the blood wasn't hers. As her mind caught up, she saw the soldier doubled over in pain, holding his hand which once held the gun, now laying on the ground, smoking from the recent shot. She saw it from either side of the stone spike which had appeared in front of her face.

Winry's senses returned to her first, turning her head to see Anthony crouched on the ground. His hand was pressed to the ground, covered by a white glove. Finally, it seemed like time had returned to normal, as the sounds of the soldier wailing in pain over his damaged hand returned to her ears.

The shorter soldier, getting over his own shock, helped the taller one to his feet. "This isn't over!" he glared his away across all of them as he yelled, his eyes resting on Anthony, who had risen to his feet and was glaring right back. "We aren't done with you yet, Alchemists!"

Alicia fell to her knees in shock, her mind swimming in conflicting emotions and rushing with thoughts. Turning her attention to Alicia, Winry ran to her side as tears began to roll down the young alchemist's cheeks. "Are you alright?"

Alicia jumped as Winry came into her view, turning to stare at her for a moment before immediately burying her eyes into her elder's shoulder.

Anthony kept his eyes on the soldiers until they were over the hill, his mind turning to Alicia and Winry. He ran to their side, helping Winry bring Alicia to her knees and walk her inside. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

Anthony sat by the window, staring out at the horizon as the words of the soldier echoed in his head. Hearing footsteps, he turned his attention to the doorway, as a still shaken Alicia walked in with Winry. He stood as Alicia approached her, his face washed over with a look of concern. She smiled softly at him as she stood in front of him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you so much Anthony, you saved my life."

Anthony smiled softly, returning her embrace. "I can't believe how far those soldiers were willing to go to recruit you."

"It wasn't always so bad," Winry chimed in, leaning in the doorway, "Back when General Feury had more power, things were mostly fine for the alchemists in this area. But Central Command sent their goons this way to enforce the laws."

Anthony broke the hug, looking over to Winry with a shocked expression. "You mean Kain Feury from Mustang's old crew?"

Winry nodded back, sighing as she thought back. "He was chosen to lead the Eastern forces about ten years ago, replacing General Fronse, one of the original members of the coup. It was only about six months ago that Central took command from him because he wasn't properly enforcing all of their ridiculous penalties."

Anthony paused for a moment, turning his head to look out the window once more. His mind was swimming with information, frustration. He turned back to Alicia. "Alicia, I have a favor to ask you." he spoke sternly, seriously. "I want to learn alchemy, so I can protect people."

Alicia paused for a moment, her own thoughts were still swimming over everything that had happened. She stared at him for a moment, seeing the resolve deep in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile as she stared at the steeled gaze. "You're not bad, but that spike was sloppy. I have to do some grocery shopping tomorrow, You can come with me and stop at the book store if you'd like, we can pick up some books on alchemy."

Anthony smiled, a relieved look on his face. "Sounds great, thank you."

Winry watched from a couple steps away, shaking her head at the awkward youngsters before her. She stepped forward, startling them both by putting a hand on their shoulders. "It's late, let's have a quick dinner and then get to bed, hm?"

* * *

Anthony looked up at the sign on the shop, double checking it on the slip of paper Alicia had given him. The Knowledge Reserve, this was the place. The bell rung above the door as he entered, looking around awkwardly. It appeared to be a normal bookstore, a blonde haired girl standing behind the counter met his gaze. "Welcome to The Knowledge Reserve, let me know if there's anything I can help you with."

Anthony smiled softly as he approached the counter, he set the piece of paper down on the table, along with some money. "Yeah, I'm looking for some books. My friend, Alicia, told me to pick these up."

The blonde girl looked over the list, humming gently to herself as she scanned across the page. "These are all beginner alchemy books, aren't they?" She looked back up to him, still smiling. She stepped out from behind the counter, beckoning him to follow as she walked toward the bookshelves. "Are you learning alchemy?"

Anthony nodded, smiling softly as he followed the girl. "yeah, Alicia's teaching me."

"Oh? Is that so?" The girl reached for a book with a sly smile, handing it to him while she continued down the shelves. "So Risembool's local botanist got her a boyfriend?"

Anthony blushed hard at her remark, nearly dropping the book as he stared at her. "What? No nothing like that! I-I mean-"

The blond girl tried and failed to stifle her giggles at the boy's response, handing him another book. "Relax, I'm just giving you a hard time." She guided him around the store, picking out each book from the list until he had a stack in his arms. She led him back to the counter, picking up the money and sliding some coins across the table to him. "And there's your change, have a nice day. Oh, and tell Alicia, 'Caroline says hello'"

Anthony nodded, sliding the change into his pockets before picking up the books and carrying them out of the store. "Thanks a lot."

Anthony managed to open the door while awkwardly balancing books in one hand, making his way through to the street outside. Thankfully, he didn't have to look around much before he ran into Alicia just a few stores down. "Hey, looks like you've got all of them huh? Was Caroline working?"

He nodded to her, smiling as he walked with her back toward home. "Yeah, she says hi, by the way. She thought we were dating." he chuckled, a soft blush on his face.

Alicia couldn't help but giggle as well, a mirroring his blush. "She likes to tease people, but she's really nice. I've still got a few stores to stop at before we head home."

"Lead the way."

* * *

The sun was setting across the horizon when the two were finally on their way home. Alicia checked her watch as they made their way up the final rolling hill toward home. "Grandma should be home by now, She had sixteen back to back appointments today, she's probably going to be asleep."

Anthony nodded back to her, his arms still full of books. As the two crossed over the slope of the hill, the books fell from Anthony's arms, a shocked look on the pairs faces. Down the dirt path they could see smoke billowing out of the windows of the house, the right side of the building up in a complete blaze. "Grandma Winry!" Alicia cried out.

The two dropped everything they were carrying and ran toward the house. The porch was awash with bright red flames. Anthony gritted his teeth, he knew exactly who had done this. Without a second thought, he ran onto the burning porch and forced his way through the front door. "Alicia!" he called out through the crackling of the wood. "Go get some help, we need water!"

Alicia was frozen in place until Anthony's words echoed in her head. Gritting her teeth and forcing the tears from her eyes, she began running back toward the market to find help.

Anthony pushed his way through the house, calling out for Winry, hoping his voice would reach over the sounds of the flames. Finally, he found her at the top of the stairs, unconscious and covered in soot, but thankfully not burned. Anthony felt his breathing become harder as he hoisted her arm over his shoulder, carrying her down the stairs. He coughed and wheezed as he pulled her out through the door, into the dirt road in front of the house. Laying her carefully across the ground, he fell to his knees. His vision blurring, he leaned close to her chest, pressing his ear to hear her heartbeat. She was alive, though her beats were slow. The last thing Anthony heard before he passed out on top of her was the sound of voices and yelling, and then it all went dark.

* * *

Anthony stared into the eye of the telescope, marvelling at the stars above while his grandfather sat in a chair, smiling at the boy. "Grandpa, come look, I think I found it."

Ed stood up, walking carefully with his cane over to the excited youth. Peeking in the telescope, he nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's mars. You found it, Anthony."

Anthony smiled wide, leaning his eye back into the telescope to look over the planet. "wow, look at it, Grandpa. Wouldn't it be cool to go there?"

"Who says you can't?"

Anthony looked over quizzically, shaking his head at the thought. "Nobody's ever been to Mars before."

"Well then that would make you the first." Ed told him matter-of-factually, tussling his hair. "There's nothing that can't be done if you put the work in."

Anthony sighed, looking up at the sky. "That sounds really hard."

"Of course, but nothing worth doing is easy, right?"

* * *

Anthony spread the sand over the glove on his hand, taking in a deep breath and exhaling as he stared at the hidden transmuation circle on his palm. In a display of blue light, the sand began to dance and shift, until there was a small glass bauble sitting where the sand once was. Alicia clapped her hands, smiling as she watched him. "Excellent work, you're picking this up really quickly Anthony."

"Yeah, You're a real prodigy kid." Winry smiled, leaning in the doorway, she had a duffel bag over her shoulder and a cane in her hand.

Anthony nodded, playing with the bauble in between his fingers, admiring the stitchwork of the glove. "I don't have any time to waste, Now that I've got it down, I'm going to go to Eastern Command."

"It's been two weeks, are you sure your lungs have healed?" Alicia questioned, a look of concern on her face.

Anthony nodded, picking up the red blanket behind him. Transmuting the fabric, he turned it into a coat identicle to the one he had found in his grandfather's belongings. "I can breathe just fine, I can't sit around here any longer and do nothing."

"I figured you'd say that." Winry smiled, leaning on her cane as she approached the bed. She set the duffel bag down and unzipped it, pulling out a metal mask engraved with a design of his grandfather's signature bangs. "You left this lying around the other day."

Anthony picked it up, running his hands over the engravings. "My grandfather was a legend for the things he could do, and he believed in fixing this broken world. I'm going to rally together an army in his honor to fight back against the corrupt military, the Fullmetal Brigade."

Winry couldn't help but chuckle at his response, doing her best to contain her laughter as she reached back into the bag. "well, if you're going to mimic Ed, you're going to need this." she pulled a metal arm from the bag, a piece of armor crafted from black metal. "It's not automail, but you don't have to cut off your arm to wear it either."

Anthony picked it up, looking it over before sliding it over his arm. He found it fit surprisingly well, finding full manoeuvrability of his arm. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done, Miss Winry."

"Think nothing of it," Winry shook her head, "Just take care of Alicia for me."

Anthony's mellow expression turned to shock, turning his head to face a smiling Alicia. Reaching under her bed, she produced a travelling bag, setting it down on top of the mattress. "It's not safe for Miss Winry if I stay, they'll come back around sooner or later looking for me. It's best if I'm not here. Besides, you're not nearly as good of an alchemist as you think you are."

Anthony smiled softly, looking at the eager girl. "Alright, but you'll need your own mask to hide your identity. We don't want to be identified."

Alicia nodded back while Winry shook her head. "Just don't get yourselves killed. I'm expecting you to take care of my young botanic alchemist."

Anthony thought for a moment, nodding slowly as he smiled at Alicia. "right, Botanic Alchemist. That'll be your cover, to protect your real name."

"And what about you, Anthony?" Alicia pondered.

"Cast Iron Alchemist." Winry interjected, walking over to Anthony and tapping on his armored arm. "Your arm is made of cast iron, it was the only metal I could get on short notice."

Anthony smiled, nodding "Cast Iron Alchemist. I like it. Thank you, Miss Winry."

* * *

The rising sun greeted the pair at the train station, both eager and bright eyed as they stared down the tracks for the oncoming train. "Alright, brilliant leader," Alicia teased, stepping up to the platform with him, "What's our first order of business."

Anthony chuckled as he stood at the edge of the platform, watching the approaching train with fire in his eyes. He was excited to see the world, to understand the place where his grandfather was born, to fix it. "We're going to East City, to meet with an old friend of my grandfather."


End file.
